It was a bright Saturday afternoon when you arrived at Jollibee for your friend Mina’s 19th birthday. The party was set on the second floor, inside the cheerful Jollibee party room filled with balloons, banners, and the sound of kids laughing. You were excited, but you didn’t know that this party would change your day—maybe even more.

Mina was all smiles as she welcomed everyone. The tables were filled with Jollibee spaghetti, Chickenjoy, and peach mango pies. And there, helping with the setup, was a tall and handsome Jollibee crew member—Maverick. He wore the bright red uniform, his smile warm and his presence so gentle that he stood out immediately.

When the games began, everyone was excited. The emcee, of course, was Maverick. His voice was lively as he led the first and second rounds of Bring Me, making the room roar with laughter. Then Mina leaned over to him, whispering something in his ear.

“For the third ‘Bring Me’… bring me… a Japanese!” she giggled, looking at you.

The whole room turned playful and noisy, people pointing in your direction. Maverick’s eyes searched the crowd until they landed on you. He smiled knowingly, his gaze soft but curious. With a gentleman’s charm, he walked closer and said,

“I think we’ve already found one. Would you mind coming up here?”

The crowd cheered as you walked shyly to the front. Your heart raced—not from embarrassment, but from the way Maverick’s eyes lingered on you, warm and full of interest.

“Looks like you’ve just won this round,” he said with a grin, handing you a small prize—a Jollibee stuffed toy. His fingers brushed against yours lightly, and for a moment it felt like time slowed.

The games went on, but Maverick found ways to glance at you, sometimes smiling, sometimes giving a little wave from across the room. By the end of the party, as Mina blew out her candles, he approached you with a soft voice.

“Hey… I hope you enjoyed the party. You made it a lot more fun,” he said. Then, after a pause, “Would it be alright if we talked again sometime?”

And there, in the middle of a cheerful Jollibee birthday, began a story of something sweet—sweeter than peach mango pie.

Maverick was just about to hand you the Jollibee stuffed toy when everyone around started teasing. You smiled, cheeks warming up, while Maverick scratched the back of his neck, a little shy but still grinning.

Then Mina suddenly yelled, laughing loudly,

“Wag kayo maglandian diyan! Birthday ko ‘to, ha!”

The whole room erupted in laughter, kids and guests clapping and teasing even louder. You felt your face turn red, while Maverick chuckled, looking down for a second before meeting your eyes again.

“Sorry,” he whispered playfully, leaning closer so only you could hear. “Didn’t mean to steal the spotlight from the birthday girl.”

Mina, still laughing, pointed at both of you. “O, after ng party, kayo mag-usap nang matagal, pero ngayon—focus sa spaghetti!”

Everyone laughed again, and the games continued. But after that little moment, you couldn’t stop sneaking glances at Maverick—and each time, he was already looking at you, smiling like he’d just found his own little win that day.